A Single Change
by XLewis
Summary: Chloe and Beca is kind of a big deal but what if Beca was a guy? Rating may change
1. Chapter 1

AN: Beca/Chloe is a pretty big deal but what if Beca was a guy? All the other characters are the same but Rebecca is now Ryder which is kinnnnnnd of similar...not really. I own nothing.

Chapter 1

Ryder Mitchell thanked the cab driver as he took his things and walked out. The Barden campus was pretty in a movie kind of way but he wasn't the type of guy to go to college. He'd rather go to L.A. and play his mixes in whatever place he wanted, but his annoying dad had made it clear that college was happening. He walked to his dorm and smiled when he saw that he had a single. Having a roommate would just ruin his...sleeping habits. Hmm that was actually a nice way of putting things. Using the word bang was just so unoriginal.

He rolled his eyes once he saw a text from his dad telling him to see the campus. Why out of all the colleges in the world did he choose Barden? Sure the girls were hot but it just wasn't worth it. Nothing was worth being near his dad again. After unpacking a bit he walked outside to the activities fair and began to look through all the different clubs to join. As he walked through all the booths he couldn't help but stare at a red head. She was passing out fliers and seemed to have a perfect smile.

For once, he wasn't formulating some kind of plan to sleep with her. He felt...shy. It was a strange feeling to be without his usual confidence but there was something about her that drew him in. Maybe it was the eyes...seriously who had eyes that blue? Gathering up the courage he walked by her and pretended to bump into her so all the fliers in her hand slipped out.

"I'm so sorry." he said as he started to pick up the fliers.

The girl giggled, "No problem! My name is Chloe Beale."

"Ryder Mitchell." he mumbled as he looked at the ground.

Chloe asked, "Are you new?"

"Yeah." he replied.

She laughed, "You're kind of shy, huh?"

"Not usually." Ryder admitted.

Chloe tilted her head, "Then why now?"

"It's just something about you." he shrugged.

The blonde interrupted, "As much as I'd love to see this conversation continue, we're busy."

"Oh you weren't interrupting much." Chloe said. "Aubrey here is just too focused."

He smiled awkwardly, "In any case I should stop bothering you."

"Bye Ryder." she chirped.

Ryder waved as he walked away but felt his stomach fluttering. What was wrong with him? He was the badass guy who didn't give a crap. Not the guy who got fucking butterflies. Ugh just thinking the word butterflies made him feel like a wimp.

A sorority girl winked at him and passed him a flier. The words "Party with the Delta's!" was written boldly on the flier and the blonde who handed it to him was giving him the we should totally hook up look. He leaned closely into her and began his usual flirting routine. A little "I love your hair", "your eyes are gorgeous", and his one line that always works "I'm sorry but you may be perfect." Girls may claim lines like that don't work but his history would definitely prove otherwise. His best friend claimed that he had to hate women to break so many hearts but he merely thought of it as looking for the right one. Yeah...he wasn't very good at putting things nicely.

/ /

/ /

/ /

Chloe frowned as she saw Ryder flirt with some sorority slut. Aubrey was saying something but she ignored her best friend to look at him. He was leaning a little too close to the girl and they were laughing about something cute he probably said. Some might think she had a crush on him but she didn't. She just liked his glimmering green eyes, messy chocolate hair, and perfect body. Nope no crush here. It was just strange because he had been so shy with her and with the slut he was just so...flirtatious. It was probably for the best. She didn't need another player to break her heart.

/ /

/ /

/ /

A groan escaped Ryder's throat when he saw a girl on his bed. He was fifty percent sure it was the sorority girl but he didn't want to take the risk, so he quietly slipped out. Ryder grabbed a new pair of boxers and his shower things as he slipped out in his underwear. After seeing the boy's bathroom was closed he decided to go the girl's on the floor below instead. He was glad to see the bathroom was completely empty as he walked in. As the shower got going he began to sing the song in his newest mix.

When he got to the middle of the song the curtain of his shower stall flew open and he backed away into the corner. His mouth dropped when Chloe walked in completely naked.

"What the fu..." he began.

Chloe cut him off, "You can sing!"

"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm in the girl's shower or cover yourself up?" he asked incredulously.

She ignored him, "Sing!"

"This isn't exactly the best time." he sighed.

Chloe just looked at him until he groaned. Ryder started singing and Chloe jumped in a few lines later. Their voices mixed perfectly and he eased up a bit as the song went on. After they were done, they just smiled at each other.

Ryder suddenly realized where they were, "Can you get out?"

"You're like the best male singer I've ever heard!" she cried.

He covered himself up, "I can't concentrate on anything until you cover your junk."

"Oh sorry I guess I'm just really confident." she shrugged.

He looked at her like she was crazy, "Please cover yourself up."

"You know what I'll just go now." she nodded. "But you should join a music group or something. Like I'm in a cappella."

Ryder looked at the ceiling, "I'm not much of a team player."

"Just think about it." she said as she walked out.

He shouted as she left, "Next time we talk let's do it when you have clothes."

Ryder heard a twinkling laugh and the sound of the door shutting. The only thought going through his mind was how weird his life was. Him doing group music? About as likely as him getting a steady girlfriend.

/ /

/ /

/ /

He stood backstage and listened to all the auditions for the a cappella groups. It wasn't that he was auditioning, he just wanted to see Chloe again. The need to just see a glimpse of her was too strong to fight. Overall the auditions were okay but not great.

After the last girl he attempted to slip away but was stopped by a nerdy kid who pushed him on stage.

"We apparently have one more." the skinny guy said.

Ryder shook his head, "Umm no I didn't..."

"No go ahead man." the guy who was apparently the leader of the guy a cappella group said. "I'm Jesse by the way."

He suddenly gained his confidence back, "Okay I guess."

Ryder ran a tattooed hand through his messy hair and took a deep breath as he looked at Aubrey, "Can I use this cup?"

"Sure." she replied confused.

He spilled the contents of the cup and began playing a beat with it as he took a deep breath,

_"I got my ticket for the long way 'round__  
__Two bottle 'a whiskey for the way__  
__And I sure would like some sweet company__  
__And I'm leaving tomorrow, wha-do-ya say?___

_When I'm gone__  
__When I'm gone__  
__You're gonna miss me when I'm gone__  
__You're gonna miss me by my hair__  
__You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh__  
__You're gonna miss me when I'm gone___

_I've got my ticket for the long way 'round__  
__The one with the prettiest of views__  
__It's got mountains, it's got rivers, it's got sights to give you shivers__  
__But it sure would be prettier with you___

_When I'm gone__  
__When I'm gone__  
__You're gonna miss me when I'm gone__  
__You're gonna miss me by my walk__  
__You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh__  
__You're gonna miss me when I'm gone"_

After he was done there was complete silence. His voice had been different from the others there was just something _honest_ about it.

He got up, "So that's all I've got."

The room suddenly erupted into applause and Ryder gave his trademark bad boy smirk. He walked out without another look back.

/ /

/ /

/ /

He casually took a sip of beer and surveyed the a cappella party. Everyone was having fun and interacting well, except for Aubrey of course. The girl didn't know how to have fun for her life but on the bright side he was having a great time. Six girls had already asked if he wanted to see their rooms. College was great.

Chloe stumbled towards him, "Hi Riddie!"

"Is that your nickname for me?" he asked in amusement.

She hugged him tightly, "I just made it up."

"Whoa there, I know you Bella's aren't allowed to be involved with Trebles and I don't want to get you in trouble." Ryder commented as he moved away from her arms.

She pouted, "Do you not like me?"

"Well you saw me naked so we're just automatically friends." he joked.

The red head giggled, "You're like really hot!"

"Thanks." he said amused.

She grabbed his hand, "Did you bang that sorority girl?"

"Whoa there, that's my private life." the handsome student said.

Chloe crossed her arms childishly, "Fine!"

"Sorry Red." he apologized.

She pointed to the tattoo on his hand, "Oooh what's that."

"It's a sun for my sister." Ryder revealed.

Chloe looked confused, "You have a sister?"

"Well she passed away a couple years ago but...she loved the sun and how amazing it was. She was just amazed by it." he reminisced.

She suddenly seemed sober, "How did she die?"

"She had a bad heart and one day in the middle of surgery she died. After, my family just fell apart and I got the tattoo after a particularly drunken night." Ryder shrugged.

The Bella hugged him again, "One second I think I know who you are and then you tell me something that makes me change my mind."

"Well I should get going." he replied before he walked off.

Chloe watched him go, "Nice to see you too."

/ /

/ /

/ /

A smile lit his face when he finished his newest mix. It was a bright day and he was sitting on the grass in the quad. Ryder couldn't really shake off the feeling that the campus looked too much like it was out of a movie but usually got over the feeling. He took of his thousand dollar headphones and surveyed his surroundings.

There were all the usual groups of people...stoners, cheerleaders, and of course geeks. Actually, the blonde cheerleader was kind of hot. He winked at the cheerleader who gave him a smile. Ryder pulled out his phone and pointed at it as he looked at the blonde. She smiled and started to tell him her number with her hands. Right before he got the last number, Chloe plopped down in front of him and blocked his view.

"Hi Chloe can you please move like five feet to your left?" he asked casually.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "Why?"

"You know what, never mind." he groaned when he saw the cheerleader wasn't there anymore.

Chloe shrugged, "Okay! Anyways, what were you doing with your laptop?"

"I was just messing with a remix." he admitted.

She grinned, "Can I hear it?"

"It's kind of personal." Ryder answered.

Red pouted, "Please!"

"Maybe one day I'll let you hear one." he tried to satisfy her.

She smiled, "Fair enough. Are you going to the riff off?"

"What the hell is a riff off?" he asked incredulously.

/ /

/ /

/ /

The fat kid from auditions spoke, "Let's see what our first category is."

He shined the flashlight at a wall and everyone stared as the wheel spun and landed on Break up songs.

Jesse ran into the spotlight and picked up a song they all picked up,

_"__I see you driving 'round town__  
__With the girl I love and I'm like,__  
Forget you!__  
Oo, oo, ooo  
I guess the change in my pocket  
Wasn't enough I'm like,__  
Forget you!__  
And forget her too!__  
I said, if I was richer, I'd still be with ya  
Ha, now ain't those some shoes? (ain't those some shoes?)  
And although there's pain in my chest  
I still wish you the best with a...__  
Forget you!_

_Oo_

The slutty girl Stacie cut in with "Stronger" by Brittany Spears,

_"Oh hey, yeah___

_Hush, just stop__  
__There's nothing you can do or say, baby__  
__I've had enough__  
__I'm not your property as from today, baby__  
__You might think that I won't make it on my own__  
__But now I'm___

_Stronger, than yesterday__  
__Now it's nothing but my way__  
__My loneliness ain't killing me no more__  
__I, I'm stronger___

_Than I ever thought that I could be, baby__  
__I used to go with the flow__  
__Didn't really care 'bout me__  
__You might think that I can't take it, but you're wrong__  
__'Cause now I'm"_

Ryder ran forward and cut the girls off,

_"__I'm feeling like a star, you can't stop my shine,  
I'm lovin cloud nine, my head's in the sky,  
I'm solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, solo.  
_

Chloe gave him a thumbs up when he started dancing perfectly to the part. __

Yea, I'm feelin good tonight,  
finally doin me and it feels so right oh.  
Time to do the things I like,  
Goin to the club everythings alright oh.  
No one to answer to, no one is goin argue no,  
And since I got that hold off me,  
I'm livin life now that I'm free yea.

Ryder slowly moved toward Aubrey and just to annoy her blew her a kiss.

_Told me get my shit together,  
Now I got my shit together.  
Now I made it through the weather,  
Better days are goin get better.  
I'm so sorry, that it didn't work out,  
I'm movin on.  
I'm so sorry, but it's over now,  
The pain is gone._

He gave Aubrey a spin and forced a smile out of her.

_I'm puttin on my shades to cover up my eyes,  
I'm jumpin in my ride, I'm headin out tonight.  
I'm solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, solo.  
I'm feeling like a star, you can't stop my shine,  
I'm lovin cloud nine, my head's in the sky,  
I'm solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, solo._

Now I'm feelin how I should,  
Never knew single could feel this good oh.  
Stop playin miss understood,  
Back in the game, who knew I would oh.  
So fly every time I spread my wings,  
Lovin myself makes me want to sing oh.  
Oh yea, yea, yea, yea.

Told me get my shit together,  
Now I got my shit together.  
Now I made it through the weather,  
Better days are goin get better.  
I'm so sorry, that it didn't work out,  
I'm movin on.  
I'm so sorry, but it's over now,  
The pain is gone.

I'm puttin on my shades to cover up my eyes,  
I'm jumpin in my ride, I'm headin out tonight.  
I'm solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, solo.  
I'm feeling like a star, you can't stop my shine,  
I'm lovin cloud nine, my head's in the sky,  
I'm solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, solo.  
Solo, I'm ridin solo yea.

It's like S-O-L-O, S-O-L-O, S-O-L-O,  
I'm livin my life, ain't got stress no more.

I'm puttin on my shades to cover up my eyes,  
I'm jumpin in my ride, I'm headin out tonight.  
I'm solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, solo.  
I'm feeling like a star, you can't stop my shine,  
I'm lovin cloud nine, my head's in the sky,  
I'm solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, solo.  
I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, solo.  
I'm ridin solo, I'm ridin solo, solo."

__Everybody cheered when the Trebles finished.

He moved back towards Aubrey, "Hello Queen of the Bella's."

"Do I call you new Treble King?" the uptight girl asked amused.

He shrugged, "Your choice."

"Okay King of the Trebles." Aubrey smiled.

They both sat down on a nearby bench.

Ryder smirked, "Somebody call the police Aubrey Posen is actually having fun and smiling."

"Shut up." she glared.

He took off his jacket and put it over her shoulders, "I knew you were cold."

"You're surprisingly considerate for an apparent bad ass." the blonde accused.

He laughed, "Well don't tell anyone it would just ruin my awesome reputation."

"Seriously, why do all "bad asses" have leather jackets? Is that like a thing?" she asked.

He moved conspiratorially towards her, "Yes it is a thing."

"Wow." Aubrey laughed at his joking.

The brunette guy shrugged, "I'm just trying to tell you the truth."

"Thank you." she replied sarcastically.

He moved closer to her, "Do you know why there's a full moon?"

"Why?" she asked amused.

Ryder put his hand with the sun tattoo up by the full moon in front of them, "There's an old African myth about a moon god and sun goddess who are forever linked in unity and they represent love. But..."

"But?" Aubrey asked curious.

He gave her a charming smile, "But there's another Chinese myth about a goddess who made a mistake so became mortal along with her husband. She was so desperate to get back to heaven that she became selfish. Her love was forever mortal and she went to the moon."

"How do you know all of this?" the a cappella captain questioned.

He looked away, "I travelled a lot...you kind of pick things up."

"It's ridiculously hard to peg you." she shook her head.

His trademark smirk spread, "I've actually heard that a lot recently but I don't really get why."

"Sometimes you're just like any other guy, other times you act like there's a lot more to you." she admitted.

He winked, "Gotta keep people on their toes."

"Have you ever thought of like gelling your hair or something?" Aubrey asked randomly.

He looked amused, "Well as we talked about before, my image is very important."

"Can't you just for once gel your hair?" she whined.

Ryder gave her a smile more genuine than the others, "Maybe Ms. Perfectionist needs to let go once in a while."

"Have you even met me?" the blonde joked bitterly.

He put a gentle arm over her, "Yes and I've learned you're kind of more than you seem too."

"You're the most deep 'bad ass' I've ever met." she avoided the subject.

A full, resonating laugh escaped his mouth, "Since you asked so nicely I might just give into your wishes and clean up a bit."

"And people never believe me when I tell them I always get what I want." Aubrey joked.

He nodded, "They'd be fools not to believe you."

"It was so nice talking to you but I'll see you later tonight." she said as she got up.

Ryder called after her, "You're acting really suspicious."

/ /

/ /

/ /

Chloe frowned at the sight of her best friend and guy friend talking with each other. This just wasn't right, Aubrey was smiling genuinely. Her best friend did not smile like that around guys. Something was definitely wrong. It wasn't at all as if she were jealous. She crossed her arms childishly when she saw Ryder give his jacket to Aubrey. It wasn't like she wanted to rip his jacket off of Aubrey and snuggle into him...nope.

Why were they talking so long? Aubrey was laughing...the world was ending. She didn't exactly know how to feel but she couldn't shake the feeling of how weird it was that they seemed so natural together. Chloe was not jealous of her best friend she loved. She wanted her to be...happy.

But she did feel relieved when Aubrey finally got up and walked towards her. Her friend looked giddy and her cheeks were red with excitement. Seriously, where was her best friend? This stranger in front of her actually looked like she was losing control.

"You were right about Ryder he's different!" Aubrey said happily.

Chloe gave her a tight smile, "I'm so happy you guys are getting along."

"I know he's a Treble but he's just so different from the other guys." she gushed.

The red head nodded, "I know."

"Ryder's really funny too." Aubrey smiled.

Chloe spoke, "Well we should get going to the 'after party'. "

"I almost forgot." her friend replied.

She shrugged, "Well we should go so we aren't late."

Aubrey nodded and on the rest of the way to the party talked about how great Ryder was. She loved her best friend but why out of any guy did she have to finally take an interest in Ryder?

/ /

/ /

/ /

Ugh where were they going so late? Jessie had told all the Trebles to meet up for a meeting with the Bellas. Something to do with tradition. He had taken the opportunity to abide to Aubrey's wishes. His messy hair was gelled with a split common to businessmen in movies and his leather jacket was replaced with a nerdy argyle sweater his mother had sent him. And instead of his usual t-shirt he wore a white button up underneath. He kind of felt like a total nerd but he had told Aubrey he would attempt it. If anything, he kept his word.

Jessie looked back all the Trebles, "We're finally here."

They all entered what looked like an abandoned warehouse and none felt surprise when they saw the Bellas sitting in chairs. The Trebles all stood and waited for the reason behind the meeting.

Aubrey stood, "We will be starting the annual Bellas vs. Trebles game of truth or dare."

"Years past we've been avoiding this little game but we decided to bring back tradition." Jesse spoke.

Aubrey nodded, "We all get into a circle and play truth or dare like we usually would. The difference is each group sends four members and the team to refuse five truths or dares loses."

"Losing team has to streak across campus." Jesse said amused. "Anyways let's choose the four from each team."

Both a cappella groups huddled in and five minutes later everyone separated.

Aubrey started, "Four the Bellas we'll have me, Chloe, Stacie, and Lily."

"Our team will be myself, Donald, Benji, and our riff off winner Ryder." Jesse declared.

The eight students made a small circle and Ryder sat in between Chloe and Aubrey. He gave the blonde a small wink and Red a smile.

Chloe giggled at him, "Ladies first!"

"Go ahead." Jesse nodded.

The beautiful red head thought carefully and smiled, "Ryder, truth or dare?"

"Contrary to my nerdy look at the moment I am still a rebel so I choose dare." he said.

Aubrey whispered into his ear, "I think you look cute."

"In that case, I dare you to do a strip tease and go down to your underwear." Chloe said evilly.

He frowned, "That's just evil."

All the guys yelled at him until he got up. He rolled his eyes when Chloe started singing "Like a Virgin" and everyone joined in. Ryder went to the middle of the circle and began to dancing randomly to the beat of the song. He took off his sweater and showed off a bit of his toned stomach to many wolf whistles from the girls. After an encouraging shout from Stacie he started to unbutton his shirt slowly and ripped it off after he got impatient.

Chloe shouted, "Go Ryder!"

At that point he was completely shirtless and moved on to his pants which he quickly took off and threw at Chloe. Everyone clapped when he was finished and he took a joking bow.

"Thank you, thank you." he joked. "Anyways, Aubrey truth or dare?"

The blonde attempted not to smile at him, "Truth!"

"Who do you think is the hottest Treble? Don't lie too because I'll know." he smiled.

Aubrey pretended to think for a long time, "In the wake of seeing you strip I've got to say you Ryder."

"Thank you." Ryder winked.

Aubrey rolled her eyes, "Anyways, Benji truth or dare?"

"Umm truth I guess." the nerdy Treble said.

She smirked evilly, "Are you a virgin?"

"Err...umm...we...well...yes." he squeaked.

Ryder spoke up, "C'mon Aubrey, evil move."

"It's okay." Benji blushed. "Stacie, truth or dare?"

The vivacious girl winked, "Truth I guess."

Benji seemed to be at lost what to ask until Donald whispered something into his ear.

The blonde blushed harder than before, "How many guys have you slept with?"

"That's a hard question but I'd estimate like sixty or up." Stacie nodded.

Donald laughed at Jessie, "You owe me twenty."

"That's so sweet that you thought I was that attractive." she smiled. "Jessie truth or dare?"

Jessie smirked, "Dare!"

"I dare you to lick the floor." she said.

Lily said so quietly no one heard, "You're dumber than my dead cat."

"What is she even saying?" Jessie asked right before he licked the floor.

Chloe shrugged, "No one knows."

"Truth or dare Chloe?" the Treble asked.

Red chirped, "Dare!"

"I dare you to...make out with Ryder." he said.

Chloe shrugged and moved towards him. He gave her a small smile and kissed her lightly. She moved a hand through his hair and kissed him back fiercely. Ryder pulled her closer by the hip and ignored all the guys cheering him on. After a surprisingly long time, they lost their breath and pulled away.

Chloe's face was flushed, "Truth or dare, beatboxer."

"Truth." Donald yelled.

Chloe asked, "Who do you think is the cutest Bella?"

"Lily." he said shortly. "Also, Lily truth or dare?"

The girl said so quietly, "Truth."

"What?" Jesse said in confusion.

Donald heard her though, "What do you do for fun?"

"That is weak." Unicycle who sat on the sidelines shouted.

Lily said, "Make small explosions."

"Again! What is she saying?" Jessie cried.

Donald nodded, "That's cool."

"How can you even hear her?" Ryder asked.

Lily interrupted, "Truth or dare?"

"Ryder, she asked you truth or dare." Donald told him.

He smirked, "Dare wimps"

"I dare you to do seven minutes in heaven with Stacie." the Asian girl said.

Donald smirked, "She dares you to go in a room alone with Stacie."

"This will be fun." Stacie winked as she walked to the closet in the room.

Ryder looked for an escape route, "Somebody please help me."

"Just go." Jesse snickered.

They all laughed at him as he got up and walked to the closet. After the time passed Ryder stumbled out with his hair messier than ever. He looked at all of them incredulously.

"I hate all of you." he declared.

AN: Bad place to end but it's pretty long.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks for reading! I own nothing.

Chapter 2

Ryder laughed at Chloe cutely pouting at him as she came out of the warehouse. The Bellas had lost the game of truth or dare with Aubrey breaking the four to four tie by refusing to make out with Unicycle. After a particularly hilarious streaking session, the girls had to clean the warehouse they played in too. He had been waiting hours for Chloe but it had nothing to do with the fact that he liked her. But she was kind of adorable.

"Have fun?" he asked with a smile.

She smiled, "No but I'm glad to see you."

"C'mon I have some hot chocolate in my car." he laughed.

Chloe looped her arm in his, "You're the best."

They walked to his vintage Mustang and Chloe hopped onto the roof of his car as he got the hot chocolate.

"I don't know why but I thought you'd have like a motorcycle." she admitted playfully.

The brunette joined her on the car roof, "I do have a motorcycle it's just in a garage."

"You also didn't tell me that you're rich." she giggled.

He smirked, "My step dad buys me crap to get me to like him."

"Did it work?" Red asked.

Ryder poured her cocoa in a cup, "I've always liked him, it's the step monster I can't stand."

"This is really good hot chocolate!" she exclaimed.

He laid down and looked at the stars, "Family recipe."

"Did you change clothes?" Chloe asked.

He rolled his eyes, "Well because of you I had no clothes so I just went and changed. The nerd look isn't for me."

"I like you anyway you are." she replied sweetly as she looked at his jeans and fitted white t-shirt.

He smiled when Chloe laid her head next to his, "When was the last time you just sat down and counted the stars?"

"I don't think I ever did. I don't have much patience." she admitted sweetly.

Ryder laughed, "Of course you don't."

"Do you know the constellations?" Chloe asked curiously.

He avoided the subject, "Pick any star and it's yours."

"Any one?"

"Yes Red, any one."

"I want that shiny one over there."

"The one almost as bright as you?"

"Can I have it Riddie?"

"That's Mars but I did promise, so it's yours."

She took his hand and pointed at it, "No! It's ours now."

"Chloe and Ryder's star." he said with amusement.

Her bright eyes twinkled harder than before, "I think it's perfect."

"You're perfect." Ryder shot back as he pulled her into him.

She cuddled into his chest, "I like being around you, I always learn something new."

"And I love teaching you." he smiled.

Green eyes met blue in a comforting moment. The loud sound of a phone ringing broke their focus on each other and Ryder quickly got up and answered.

"Hello?" he said annoyed. "...I'm sorry but I'm busy...coffee tomorrow?...Okay...Nice talking to you to."

She tilted her head, "Who was that?"

"No one." Ryder avoided the subject. "I should get you back to your dorm."

Chloe pouted, "I don't want to."

"Just get in the car." he chuckled.

She crossed her arms, "No."

"Oh yeah?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

Before Red could react he had lifted her across one of his shoulders and dropped her into the car. She gave him a look but he smiled back with a glimmer in his eyes.

"See I always get what I want." he joked.

Chloe glared playfully at him, "You owe me ice cream!"

"I'll get it to you." he winked.

He pulled out of the lot and laughed with Chloe as she attempted to sing along with a song she had never heard. It wasn't an ideal moment, but it was simple and in his mind perfect.

/ /

/ /

/ /

A loud knock woke him from his sleep. The knock continued again until he rose and angrily opened the door.

"What?" he shouted angrily.

To his surprise Aubrey stood outside with her usual perfection and coffee in her hands. She gave him an amused look until he looked down and noticed he was only wearing his dark grey diesel boxers. He yelped and jumped back into his room. Aubrey walked in and closed the door behind her.

"I'm not embarrassed, I'm just conservative." he yelled.

Aubrey sat on his surprisingly clean bed, "Well you promised me coffee and since you didn't bring me any, I took things into my own hand."

"Sorry I had a late night." Ryder admitted as he took the coffee and took a long sip.

The blonde smiled, "Have you like thought of wearing clothes?"

"Why does it make you uncomfortable?" he asked with a smile.

She nodded, "Yes, actually."

"You probably haven't seen a lot of guys in their boxers." he teased.

She walked to his closet and started looking through it, "Shut up!"

"I've noticed that you're kind of perfect." he commented getting of topic.

Aubrey paused, "No I'm not."

"Yes you are! Your hair's always perfectly in place, you're smart, and you're hot." he pointed out.

She laughed like bells, "If that's your reasons for someone being perfect than you're a bit naive and thank you for calling me hot."

"Sometimes it feels like the word hot just isn't good enough for a girl." Ryder analyzed.

She looked at him with amusement, "And why's that?"

"Like I could look at you and say hot. But I could say your hair is like spun gold, your eyes are like the color of a perfect sky, and your body is more beautiful than Aphrodite's." he elaborated.

Aubrey stared at him intensely, "And you wonder why I think you're complicated."

"Do you want to go out or something?" he changed the subject.

She touched his arm, "You're such a romantic and yes we're going somewhere."

"Ugh I have to wear clothes." the brunette complained.

She took out a dark grey mock neck sweater, light blue oxford button down, khakis, and striped wool tie, "Wear this!"

"That is a look for a preppy and I am not a preppy." he exclaimed.

She gave him a look, "You're wearing it."

"I'd like to see you try and get me to wear that." he declared.

/ /

/ /

/ /

Ryder groaned, "Okay so you got me to wear this preppy throw up."

"I always get what I want." Aubrey sang.

He pulled into the mall parking lot, "Sometimes I hate you."

"And you're going shopping with me!" she beamed. "So sweet."

He rolled his eyes, "Why are we going shopping anyway?"

"My parents bought half of the state so they're holding a ball for all the families they bought." she said in a matter of fact tone.

Ryder smirked, "When's the ball anyway?"

"Tonight." Aubrey replied.

He laughed, "The girl who's always prepared, procrastinating...it's almost too perfect."

"I just need the perfect dress." she shrugged.

He smiled, "Something so easy for women."

"There's a shop here that carries the current ball gowns of all the best designers." she said as she looped her arm in his.

He chuckled, "Which is why we drove a million hours to get here."

"Maybe." she relented and led them to a small shop.

They entered and an old woman greeted them warmly. Aubrey seemed to know her though and began describing the dress she wanted while using wild hand gestures. The woman brought out a whole rack of gowns. Dress after dress was worn and declined. After Aubrey went to look for more dresses, he stood and walked around the shop. A light pink dress caught his eye and he pulled it out. The dress was strapless and made of a sheer but beautiful material.

He walked towards Aubrey, "I think I might've found you a dress."

"It's beautiful." she gasped as she took in the dress.

They left with the dress and he bought her pizza. Ryder smiled at Aubrey across the table.

He took a bite, "What are your parents like?"

"They want me to be perfect and my dad always told me that losing isn't an option." she replied.

The handsome man frowned, "Let me guess, your mom tries to set you up with a guy every week."

"You're right, she wants me to get married and just stop going to school. My dad...he only wants perfection." Aubrey said thoughtfully.

He gave her an understanding look, "Is your mom going to get on you for not having a date to the ball?"

"Yup and my dad has recently joined my mom on her crusade to get me to marriage." she sighed.

Ryder smiled, "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"Says the person who doesn't have to go to a stupid ball." the blonde retorted. "And without things like this I can't connect with my dad. The only other thing we have in common is a love for business."

"I'm a business major too."

"For what?"

"I'm kind of a genius at stocks." he admitted.

She laughed, "Is that so?"

"My step father gave me ten k and I turned it into over a million. I turned the million into a lot more and built all the way up to almost a billion." Ryder shrugged.

Aubrey said wistfully, "My dad would love you."

He ran a hand through his hair, "I think it's admirable that you go so far to make your parents happy."

"I don't even know why I try." she shrugged.

/ /

/ /

/ /

Aubrey frowned as her mother showed her off to all the people at the ball. Mostly introducing her to the rich sons. God, her mother was as subtle as a gun. She felt beautiful in the dress Ryder had picked out and couldn't help but miss him. If he were here she would've had someone to make her smile and laugh.

She turned to accept a glass of champagne but shock ran through her when she saw Ryder walking towards her. His hair was parted to the side and gelled neatly. His leather jacket was replaced with a trimmed dark grey tuxedo from Dolce and Gabbana, and his lapels were a silk black that matched his bowtie.

Ryder no longer looked like the bad boy college kid, he looked like the perfect socialite or celebrity. The dark suit contrasted nicely with his extremely bright green eyes and chocolate hair. It brought out the sculpted features of his face and made everything about him more noticeable.

He walked towards her and her mother, "Hi honey, I'm so sorry I'm late."

"Who's this?" her mother Diana asked happily.

Ryder gave a charming smile, "I'm Aubrey's boyfriend."

"You didn't tell me that you had such a handsome boyfriend!" Diana exclaimed.

He rested his hand on her waist, "We've been trying to keep it secret but Ms. Posen you look simply stunning tonight."

"Thank you." her mother beamed.

Aubrey spoke up, "This is Ryder Mitchell."

"What's your family in?" Mrs. Posen asked.

She looked nervously at her pretend boyfriend, "My step father and mother are investment bankers. My dad is a professor."

"Which investment company do your mother and step father work out?" her mother questioned.

He politely replied, "The Martin Corporation."

"Your step father is Aaron Martin?" Diana gasped.

Aubrey looked at him confused he whispered, "It's a huge investment company that's getting really big."

"Who's this?" her powerful father asked as he walked up to them.

Ryder shook his hand, "I'm your daughter's boyfriend Ryder."

"He's of the Martin Corporation." Diana smiled.

Charles Posen actually smiled, "It's nice to see my daughter with a suitable young man."

"Thank you sir." he replied formally.

She grinned at her hero, "Let's go outside."

"Excuse me." Ryder said politely to her parents.

They walked out on to the empty terrace and leaned over the railing. Well Ryder did, she just stood next to him.

"Why did you...?" she left off.

He looked at the moon, "Become your Prince Charming?"

"I guess." she laughed.

His handsome face looked pensive as he continued to look at the sky, "I like you and I wanted to help you."

"Oh." Aubrey blushed brightly.

He smirked, "I just saw how you were about your parents and I didn't want you to suffer through a night. Plus, I look really good in a tux."

"You do." she smiled.

The brunette shrugged, "I'm just glad I could be your white knight."

"When are you going to stop saving me?" she asked.

He smiled, "When are you going to stop needing to be saved?"

She laughed and he joined her. A loud ringing suddenly interrupted them. Ryder took out his phone and quickly turned it off. They spent the rest of the night outside just talking about the simplest things. It was one of the best nights of her life.

/ /

/ /

/ /

Chloe danced to the latest Taylor Swift song and ate her favorite frosted animal cookies. She was worried about Ryder because he hadn't answered any of her calls or texts. It didn't seem like something he would do at all.

She jumped onto her bed and started to check her facebook. A laugh escaped her mouth when she saw a picture of Fat Amy drinking with hot guys surrounding her. When she scrolled lower a frown marred her face when she saw a picture of Aubrey in a beautiful pink ball gown and Ryder in a perfect tuxedo with a hand on her friend's waist.

Ryder and Aubrey looked perfect together and she hated it. Her best friend was changing him into being different. First with his hair and clothes, then it'd be his whole personality. She wanted the Ryder who was sweet and funny, but got in trouble at times.

Her heart stopped at the tag on the picture..."My Prince Charming." She slammed the laptop down and put on a sweater. Her heart beat furiously as she ran out the door to leave. If she saw Aubrey when she came back, she didn't know what she would do.

/ /

/ /

/ /

Ryder patiently waited outside the building for Chloe. He hadn't seen her in a while so he had decided to surprise her with a picnic. His phone beeped and he smiled at the text from Aubrey, Ryder quickly texted her back and didn't even notice Chloe walk up to him.

He put down his phone, "Hey Chloe."

"Hi Ryder." she said in a reserved manner.

The brunette put up his picnic basket, "I thought we could have a picnic."

"I don't know Ryder I'm kind of busy." Red shrugged.

He smiled charmingly, "I have homemade cookies."

"Fine." she relented with a light smile.

They walked to a spot under a huge tree and Ryder quickly pulled out the blanket and smoothed it for her. Chloe smiled at him as she sat down.

He started to take out food, "I've got chicken waldorf salad, fresh non alcoholic mint julep, turkey wraps, and chocolate chip cookies.

"You made all of this?" she asked incredulously.

He gave her a napkin, "Little known secret but I'm really good at cooking."

"Well you told me so it's not little known anymore." she smiled again but quickly turned it into a frown.

The green eyed guy looked at her worried, "Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?"

"It's nothing." she shrugged.

Ryder took her hand but she pulled away, "I know you Chloe and right now you're not you."

"I'm fine." Red replied.

He frowned, "Just tell me the truth."

"I just feel like you're leaving me behind for other people. I just thought.." she trailed off.

He stared at her, "Thought what?"

"I thought you liked me." she muttered.

He averted his eyes, "Oh."

"I get it, you like to be a player and you probably like girls who are perfect unlike me." she sighed.

He ran a hand through his hair in a stressed manner, "I don't know what to say."

"Just tell me if you like me or not." Chloe demanded. "I get that I'm not as pretty as other girls or perfect."

Ryder started to pack all the things back into the basket, "I need to get going, text me later."

"You're not gonna give me an answer?" she asked with tears.

He paused, "I promised to get coffee with Aubrey so I need to go."

"You like Aubrey don't you?" Red questioned.

The brunette looked at her with confusion, "What are you even talking about?"

"You like her and she's changed you. I like your whole new prep look but it isn't you, it's Aubrey." she accused.

He stared at her, "That's because Aubrey did choose this outfit and I like dressing this way. She and I have this thing where she wakes me up and we hang out. "

"Oh so she wakes you up every morning?" Chloe cried.

Ryder frowned, "It's not a big deal, we just like hanging out together and maybe it was time I stopped wearing leather jackets all the time."

"What about that picture of you two at her parent's ball? That looks like a picture of a couple to me." she shot back.

He stood, "I don't have to explain myself to you Chloe."

"You were so nice to me and made me think we had something." Chloe looked away.

He looked at her, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie!"

"Red we're friends and I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea."

"You flirted with me, you brought me hot chocolate, and you made me a picnic."

"I flirt with a lot of girls and I like bringing you things because I thought we were friends."

"Ryder, what do you do with Aubrey then?"

"I talk to her and we drive to places just because we feel like going somewhere. It's not this hard with her."

"So it's hard to be around me?"

"Chloe, I didn't say that."

"I'm not stupid, I know you're thinking I'm being so dramatic right now but I just want you to be honest with me."

"We're friends and I'm friends with Aubrey."

"Mitchell, we aren't friends anymore."

Ryder watched her walk away and angrily threw the basket on the floor. He dropped on to the blanket and angrily ran his hands through his hair. Why did she have to put him on the spot? And why did she think she wasn't beautiful. The first second he saw her, he couldn't look away.

Oh crap...he liked her. What had his life turned into? He, Ryder Mitchell liked a girl more than just a bang. How could she ever forgive him? Chloe probably hated him right now. A small smile came to his face when he came up with an idea. It was good enough to make her listen but there was no guarantee that she'd forgive him.

/ /

/ /

/ /

Chloe walked out with her books close to her chest and an empty look on her face. Since her fight with Ryder, everything seemed so depressing. Taylor Swift no longer helped her recover, gushers just didn't taste the same, even singing didn't brighten her mood. Aubrey had cancelled practice after hearing what happened and she hadn't seen her roommate in a week. Probably for the best considering she kind of hated her at the moment. Not hate, Aubrey was her best friend. No boy, even her soul mate...no boy would separate their friendship.

Confusion shot through her when she saw Ryder standing by a sign saying forgive me. He had a guitar around his neck and he wore a hooded leather jacket and jeans. She walked gently towards him and frowned. Students gathered around him and waited for a something to happen.

Ryder gave her a nervous smile, "Hi Chloe umm I'm not really good at words so I'm hoping a couple of songs will help me."

"Okay." she muttered.

He cleared his throat and played a well known intro, "

_You're insecure  
Don't know what for  
You're turning heads when you walk through the door  
Don't need make up  
To cover up  
Being the way that you are is enough_

_Everyone else in the room can see it  
Everyone else but you-ou-ou"_

Everyone smiled at the common song choice.

Ryder changed the song with a deeper beat, "

_Pretty, pretty please__  
__Don't you ever, ever feel__  
__Like your less than Fuckin' perfect.__  
__Pretty, pretty please__  
__If you ever, ever feel__  
__Like your nothing__  
__You're fuckin' perfect to me."_

Chloe couldn't help but smile at him.

_"__beautiful girls all over the world  
i could be chasing but my time would be wasted  
they got nothin' on you baby  
nothin' on you baby  
they might say hi and i might say hey  
but you shouldn't worry about what they say  
cause they got nothin' on you baby  
nothin' on you baby"_

She walked towards him.

He paused and went back to his first song, "

_Baby you light up my world like nobody else  
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed  
But when you smile at the ground it aint hard to tell  
You don't know (oh oh)  
You don't know you're beautiful!  
If only you saw what I can see  
You'll understand why I want you so desperately  
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe  
You don't know (oh oh)  
You don't know you're beautiful!  
(Oh oh)  
You don't know you're beautiful!  
(Oh oh)  
_

_That's what makes you beautiful!"_

Ryder walked closer to her and looked at the ground, "Please forgive me."

"Always." she said and hugged him tightly.

He leaned towards her and kissed her lightly on the lips. Chloe immediately kissed him back and pulled him in even closer. Ryder lifted her and they finally pulled apart after they ran out of breath.

"Does this mean we're dating?" Red asked.

He kissed her again but more passionately, "What do you think?"

"Yes." she giggled. "But there's one problem."

He held her against him, "What?"

"Aubrey." she replied simply.

The brunette ran a hand through his hair, "Oh...I guess we kind of have to keep this on the down low."

"Probably." Chloe shrugged.

He looked at her worried, "And you're okay with that?"

"As long as we know the truth." she happily replied.

Ryder trailed kisses down her neck, "I guess I could somehow survive."

"Let's go somewhere else." she answered and pulled away from him.

He lifted her, "Of course my Queen."

Chloe happily giggled and let Ryder carry her. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him again and again.

/ /

/ /

/ /

She tried to stop looking at Aubrey and Ryder but couldn't help it. After the Bella's bus broke down, Aubrey had called her boyfriend, so the two a cappella groups were currently on the Treble bus. Her best friend had instantly sat next to Ryder and talked to him. They were currently listening to his iPod and laughing about some of his songs.

Chloe kind of regretted not making their relationship public, but she couldn't hurt her best friend. Even if she was touching her boyfriend a little too much.

Stacie jumped from her seat and sat on Ryder's lap, "Hey sexy."

"Hi Stacie." he muttered as he tried to gently push her off.

Aubrey gave the slutty girl a tight smile, "Get back to your seat Stacie."

"Thanks." Ryder told the blonde after the other girl walked back to her seat.

Her best friend beamed, "No problem."

"What are you guys singing?" he asked.

Amy cut in, "The same boring shi..."

"Just the same thing we always do." Aubrey shrugged.

He furrowed his eyebrows, "Maybe you guys should change it up a bit."

"It's tradition." the blonde objected.

Ryder repeated the pattern of running a hand through his hair while stressed, "I'm just saying changing it up a bit wouldn't hurt."

"Maybe." Aubrey relented just because it was her crush.

Chloe rolled her eyes and made eye contact with Ryder. They smiled and looked away from each other but it was reassuring to know he missed her.

/ /

/ /

/ /

Ryder cringed after seeing the Bella's go on. They were good but the song choices were so dead. Even Chloe couldn't save the performance.

The crowd screamed loudly for the Trebles and he moved to the center. The screams of the girls became even louder when he smirked at them.

Donald started a drum beat and Ryder took a deep breath and started, "

_I'm at a payphone trying to call home__  
__All of my change I spent on you__  
__Where have the times gone__  
__Baby it's all wrong, where are the plans we made for two?___

_Yeah, I, I know it's hard to remember__  
__The people we used to be__  
__It's even harder to picture__  
__That you're not here next to me__  
__You say it's too late to make it__  
__But is it too late to try?__  
__And in our time that you wasted__  
__All of our bridges burned down___

_I've wasted my nights__  
__You turned out the lights__  
__Now I'm paralyzed__  
__Still stuck in that time when we called it love__  
__But even the sun sets in paradise___

_I'm at a payphone trying to call home__  
__All of my change I spent on you__  
__Where have the times gone__  
__Baby it's all wrong, where are the plans we made for two?___

_If happy ever after did exist__  
__I would still be holding you like this__  
__All those fairytales are full of sh*t__  
__One more stupid love song I'll be sick___

_You turned your back on tomorrow__  
__Cause you forgot yesterday__  
__I gave you my love to borrow__  
__But just gave it away__  
__You can't expect me to be fine__  
__I don't expect you to care__  
__I know I've said it before__  
__But all of our bridges burned down___

_I've wasted my nights__  
__You turned out the lights__  
__Now I'm paralyzed__  
__Still stuck in that time when we called it love__  
__But even the sun sets in paradise___

_I'm at a payphone trying to call home__  
__All of my change I spent on you__  
__Where have the times gone__  
__Baby it's all wrong, where are the plans we made for two?___

_If happy ever after did exist__  
__I would still be holding you like this__  
__All those fairytales are full of sh*t__  
__One more stupid love song I'll be sick___

_Now I'm at a payphone...__  
_Donald interjected and started to rap.

___Man work that sh*t__  
__I'll be out spending all this money while you sitting round__  
__Wondering why it wasn't you who came up from nothing__  
__Made it from the bottom__  
__Now when you see me I'm stunning__  
__And all of my cars start with the push up a button__  
__Telling me the chances I blew up or whatever you call it__  
__Switched the number to my phone__  
__So you never could call it__  
__Don't need my name on my show__  
__You can tell it I'm ballin'__  
__Swish, what a shame could have got picked__  
__Had a really good game but you missed your last shot__  
__So you talk about who you see at the top__  
__Or what you could've saw__  
__But sad to say it's over for__  
__Phantom pulled up valet open doors__  
__Wiz like go away, got what you was looking for__  
__Now ask me who they want__  
__So you can go and take that little piece of sh*t with you__  
_

Jessie started

___I'm at a payphone trying to call home__  
__All of my change I spent on you__  
__Where have the times gone__  
__Baby it's all wrong, where are the plans we made for two?_

Ryder cut in again strongly__

_If happy ever after did exist__  
__I would still be holding you like this__  
__All those fairytales are full of sh*t__  
__One more stupid love song I'll be sick__  
_

All of the Trebles harmonized

___Now I'm at a payphone..."_

The applause was deafening and he smirked when he saw Chloe going crazy. She was great. He took a bow and sent a wink at Chloe. Red just smiled brightly back. A cappella had seemed pretty stupid until that exact moment. Things were different...better. The guys impatiently waited and cheered loudly when they received the first place trophy. Jesse grabbed it and held it up in the air with a wide grin.

After, all the Trebles walked out with wide smiles and happy attitudes. When Ryder noticed Chloe off in a corner he slipped out of the group and carefully walked towards her. Red laughed and pulled him along to a deserted hallway.

"You were great." she complimented.

He put his face close to hers, "You were better."

"No, my face is not very Aguilerean." she pouted.

He chuckled, "And what does that mean?"

"Not good." Chloe replied in a duh voice.

The brunette smiled, "Just kiss me."

Red jumped and wrapped her legs around him as she went in for a kiss. Ryder didn't even hesitate to kiss her back and push her against the wall. He let her put her legs down before he proceeded to make a trail of kisses along her neck. She moaned softly when he began sucking her suck. A small yelp escaped Chloe's mouth when he made a small nip.

"Just leaving my mark." he smirked sexily.

She pouted, "You're so lucky I have my Bella's scarf with me."

He shrugged and kissed her again. Chloe reached up and ran her hands through his messy hair. Just as she slipped her hands underneath his shirt and felt his hard muscles, a scream echoed in the hallway. When the couple turned around, they were greeted with the sight of Aubrey looking furious.

"What is this?" the blonde screamed.

Ryder tried to move towards his friend, "Aubrey, I'm sorry you had to find out this way but Chloe and I are dating."

"You owe me twenty bucks." Fat Amy told Cynthia Rose.

Aubrey looked at him with tears in her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we knew you'd freak out." Chloe said gently.

The Bella leader frowned, "Why? Because you knew I liked him."

"If you were in my place you would have done the same thing." Red accused.

Ryder put an arm around Chloe, "I'm sorry but I really like her. I thought I liked you more than a friend but I realized I don't."

"I can't handle this." Aubrey whispered as she ran away.

He called after her, "Aubrey wait!"

"Let her have some time to herself." Chloe said as she pulled him back.

He sighed, "I just hope she's okay."

/ /

/ /

/ /

Aubrey tried to cover her face as she ran outside. She eventually made it to some steps and sat down. Tears fell across her and she shook with sobs.

Somebody sat next to her and gently handed her a handkerchief. She looked up and saw a handsome man smiling calmly at her. He had jet black hair that was neatly gelled and he wore a tailored black suit almost as black as his hair. The handsome guy wore dark tinted aviators even when it was night and had a sculpted face.

The stranger gently took what she realized was his pocket square and wiped her eyes, "I'm not going to ask if you're okay because I already know the answer, so what happened?"

"Just a boy." she choked out.

He nodded, "Well any boy who makes a girl cry isn't worth it."

"You've never made a girl cry?" she asked.

The black haired man laughed, "Never made a girl fall for me."

"Why's that?" the blonde said as she wiped her tears.

He shrugged, "I've never been in love."

"Never?" she cried.

He smiled, "I'm just very honest to myself and others."

"You're one in a million."

"Well that's just the way I was raised."

"What's your name?"

"Just call me Archer."

"I'm Aubrey, what's your real name?"

He laughed, "Archibald."

"Do your parents hate you?" she joked.

Archer smiled, "No they just wanted a pretty girl."

"Really?" she giggled loudly.

He fixed his tie, "Well I'll never tell."

"You're old age has made you so wise" Aubrey teased.

He smirked, "I'm not that much older than you."

"What are you, thirty years old?" she said with a tilted head.

The charming man lazily rubbed his chin, "For your information, I'm only 25."

"So I guess you aren't an old man." the blonde laughed.

Archie sexily ran a hand through his hair, "Let me guess; you're a college senior, with overbearing parents, a great best friend, and you feel the need to be perfect."

"How did you know?" she said as she felt like his gesture seemed familiar.

He took off his sunglasses, "I _was_ you."

Instead of answering, Aubrey stared intensely at his eyes. One was an electrifying blue with orange in the center, the other was a mint green with a startling yellow mixed in. She suddenly understood why he wore his sunglasses at night, his eyes were unsettling and beautiful at the same time. His eyes would be creepy if his sculpted face didn't compliment them so well. The way his inky black hair contrasted with his light eyes, was a little too perfect.

"You're eyes..." she trailed off.

Archer sighed, "Are weird which is why I risk looking like a douche all the time by wearing sunglasses."

"You shouldn't hide them, they're beautiful." she argued.

He stood, "Even if that's true, I came here to comfort you."

"You did a pretty good job." she looked up at him.

He winked, "One last piece of advice...do things because you want to."

"Can I have your phone number?" she cried as he walked off.

He spoke without looking back, "We'll meet again."

"Thank you for making me feel better." Aubrey yelled.

Archer threw a joking fist pump up as he walked then put his hands in his pocket. Aubrey felt an unwilling smile spread across her face as he left. He was the perfect guy for her; charming, considerate, funny, and interesting. The best part was that he looked like the kind of guy her parents would put their stamp of approval on. He was wearing a tailored Armani suit...Charles Posen would be please. Not only that but he made her laugh. Archer took down her defenses so quickly that she didn't even notice it happening. The only but huge problem was that she didn't know if she would ever get the chance to speak to him again. Fate was testing her but she was determined to pass.

AN: In the next chapter I may add actors for my OCs so you guys have a better idea of what they look like. Thanks for the support!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Drop a review!

Chapter 3

He smiled at Chloe who was sitting next to him on the queen sized bed in his room. Being rich and having a single was almost too good. Having a beautiful girlfriend was just an added bonus.

"Do you want anything?" Ryder asked sweetly.

She cuddled into him and changed the channel on his flat screen, "I already have you so I'm good."

"Good because I don't want anything else either." he replied.

Red laughed, "You are too sweet."

"Hmm I guess you just bring it out of me." he shrugged.

She kissed him gently, "I hope I'm the only one who does it too."

"I'm sorry to ask but how's Aubrey?" he asked with worry.

She sighed, "My best friend won't even talk to me but she doesn't really seem mad, thank god."

"Well that's better than her hating us." he relented.

The blue eyed girl played with his hand, "Maybe it's time that we talk to her."

"She'll hate me until she gets a boyfriend." Ryder groaned.

She giggled, "The only way that girl would get a boyfriend was if he were perfect."

"And what would make a guy perfect enough for Aubrey?" he questioned with amusement.

She tilted her head, "My guess would be a guy who's really handsome, charming, funny, sweet, likes tailored suits, a neat freak, considerate, somewhat self-depreciating, good at singing, amazing at dancing, and most importantly...a guy who doesn't give up."

"Man, I meet guys like that every day." he says jokingly.

The a cappella girl smiled, "I'm just being honest."

"How did she ever like me?" the brunette cried incredulously. "I'm literally none of the things on that list."

She kissed him gently, "I don't know you're pretty sexy."

"Wow thanks." he smirked.

She jumped onto his lap, "Do you know a guy like that?"

"Nope except for my douchey older brother." he joked.

Chloe looked up, "Wait you have an older brother?"

"Yeah, once I think about it he's like a male version of Aubrey." Ryder realized.

She lightly hit him, "Thanks for telling me so much about your family."

"Not much to know." he smiled.

She rolled her eyes, "Anyways, tell me about this mysterious older brother."

"He hates my dad so he changed his last name to our mom's maiden one. Ever since we were little he's kind of been a genius. The guy went to Princeton when he was thirteen. The only thing I've really got over him is that I'm better at sports." he explained.

A mischievous glint lit her eyes, "Your brother is perfect for Aubrey and I've got a plan to get them together."

"Aubrey doesn't like people that easily and my brother's busy." he pointed out the holes in her plan.

She pouted, "Isn't there anything you could do?"

"He was able to go to regionals to watch me but he's an investment banker who likes money a lot." the handsome man answered.

She grinned, "He has a lot of money? Even more perfect for Aubrey."

"Well I guess he could work from here." he relented.

She grabbed him by his collar, "You're the best boyfriend ever."

"I know." he muttered before he kissed her deeply.

Chloe giggled kissed him on the nose. Ryder playfully growled and pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him. He let her set the pace as they kissed and looked surprised when she pushed him back and pulled his shirt off.

"I totally knew you wanted to see me shirtless again." he winked.

She touched a tattoo on the left of his chest, "What is this?"

"Nothing." he muttered and kissed her neck.

She pushed him back, "That was not there when you did your strip tease weeks ago."

"I just covered it up."

"Ryder tell me the truth!"

"You're beautiful."

"About your tattoo."

"C'mon Red don't worry about it."

"Is this like one of your super personal things you hide?"

"I'm sorry but I can tell you that it's connected to my sister."

She paused, "I'm sorry I asked."

"Maybe I'll tell you one day." he promised as he brought her closer to him.

She laughed, "Like your mixes?"

"Exactly." he smiled.

Chloe smiled back but Ryder could tell something was bothering her. He just decided to ignore it and moved to get ice cream out of his fridge. She laughed at his silly grin and ruffled his hair.

"Like I promised." the boyfriend chuckled.

She took a huge scoop from the carton, "Thank you!"

"Anything for my girl." he winked.

They spent the rest of the day watching old movies and making fun of horrible new ones. It was their first official date and he loved it. Having a girlfriend had seemed like prison to him before but now... Ryder looked forward to just seeing her every day. He was going to be so whipped

/0/0/0/0/0/

Aubrey sat at a small table within her apartment as she drank her chai tea. She had forgiven Chloe a long time ago but the opportunity to make her sweat was too good to be true. Her best friend hadn't ran out the door so she knew that today was the day that they were going to talk.

Thinking back on everything, liking Ryder had been crazy. He liked leather jackets way too much to make sense. Also, his hair was too messy. Without her help he didn't even know what good clothing and gel was. In spite of all his ridiculous problems they would probably be great friends. She had her eyes set on a new guy anyway. One who was mysterious and perfect for her. Too bad she would never see him again or knew his last name.

Chloe walked in and sat across from her, "Can we talk?"

"Sure." she answered as she leaned back.

The red head took a deep breath, "I'm sorry about everything and I don't deserve you as a best friend, but the fact was that we are best friends."

"We are." she said quietly.

The girl dragged on, "Let's just forgive each other!...Wait, what?"

"I forgive you." the blonde said with amusement.

Her best friend laughed, "Thank god."

"Ryder is too alternative for me anyways." she shrugged.

Chloe smiled, "That's my boyfriend."

"Well, tell your boyfriend that we're still friends and to let me dress him." she replied.

Her roommate laughed, "You can tell him yourself, he's coming right now to take me out to brunch."

"Brunch? That boy is whipped." the blonde laughed.

The doorbell rang and Chloe went to answer it. Ryder walked in with a smile and moved to hug Aubrey quickly. She laughed at his goofy manner and returned the hug.

"You do know that you're my best friend right?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She lightly hit him, "Of course."

"And to think that I thought I was your best friend." a voice said with mock despair.

Aubrey quickly turned around and looked shocked when she saw Archer, "Hi."

"Hi." he replied with equal shock.

Ryder looked in between them, "Anyways, this is your date for the night?"

"Hello" the black haired man repeated as he stared at her.

Chloe looked at her curiously, "Well, this is Ryder's older brother Archibald Grey."

"Named Archibald because our parents wanted..." Ryder started.

Aubrey cut in, "a pretty girl."

"How did you know that?" the brunette asked curiously.

Archer straightened his tailored navy suit, "We've met before."

"Before or after you were cleaning your pocket squares." the younger brother joked.

Chloe interrupted, "Why is your last name Grey if your his brother?"

"Problems with my dad so I changed it to my mom's maiden name." the aviator wearing man shrugged.

She looked shyly down, "Well my last name is Posen."

"Pleasure to meet you Ms. Posen." he replied sexily.

Chloe and Ryder shared a look, "We're going to go now because you guys seem to be hitting it off or know each other really well."

"I'm so confused." the red head muttered as the couple walked out.

Archer waited until they left, "So we meet again like I promised."

"You didn't tell me that you were Ryder's brother." she accused quietly.

He smiled, "You didn't tell me that you were Ryder's girlfriend's best friend."

"Details." she brushed off. "You can take off your sunglasses, it's just me."

He stopped smiling, "I'm sorry, I'm not used to not wearing my sunglasses."

"I'm your friend and I've already seen your eyes." she simplified.

He raised an eyebrow, "That was my way of saying no."

"Well that was my way of saying I always get what I want." she shot back.

Archie laughed and took off his sunglasses, "Something just told me you wouldn't give up."

"Are you hungry?" she asked off topic.

He smiled, "Are _you_ hungry Aubrey?"

"I am." the a cappella captain admitted.

He threw his suit jacket off, "It just so happens that I am an amazing chef."

"Really?" she said with amusement.

He looked through the kitchen and brought out different ingredients, "How does chicken angelo sound?"

"Like you're lying." she giggled.

He rolled up his button up sleeves, "I can't do this alone."

Aubrey rolled her eyes but joined him in cooking. Archer playfully moved around the kitchen and let her grill the chicken. He cooked the noodles and made the sauce from scratch. After everything was almost finished, he told her to get ready for their dinner date. When she walked back her simple table had been set perfectly and plates were set with the great smelling food. Archie had put his jacket back on and stood near the table looking like the perfect gentleman.

He lit the candles he set on the table, "You look perfect."

"Thanks." she muttered as she looked at the crimson dress.

Archer rushed to pull out her chair for her, "You know you're the first girl I've cooked for other than my mother or sister of course."

"Why's that?"

"We talked about it...I've never been in love."

"Does that mean you're in love with me?"

"Maybe I'm falling for you Ms. Posen."

"I might say the same Mr. Grey."

He poured her some wine, "When I went back to New York I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Why?" she whispered.

He winked, "I'm sure you could guess."

"Maybe." she blushed.

Archer took a bite of the pasta, "I'm sure you could guess that my brother and I aren't really alike."

"What gave it away, the tailored suits?" Aubrey teased.

He nervously fixed his silver tie, "Our younger sister died and the family kind of fell apart."

"That must have been hard." she said gently.

He shrugged, "I guess, Ryder used to be a lot like me. He used to go to U Penn and was the top of the class, dressed like a preppy, and he even wanted to work in the field I was in."

"What is it that you do?" she asked with curiosity.

He smiled, "I'm an investment banker."

"Do you work at your step father's company?" she said with realization.

He nodded, "I'm leading it at the moment."

"That's really nice of you." she said honestly.

Archer moved the ring on his hand nervously, "It's not an easy job, stocks are hard to determine."

"Whenever you're nervous you mess with something you're wearing." the blonde pointed out.

He laughed, "I guess I'm just nervous around you."

"Why is that?" Aubrey prodded.

The businessman put his hands in his pockets, "You already know I like you so why ask?"

"I like to hear you say it." she smiled.

He took a deep breath, "Anyways, getting back to Ryder and I, he dropped out of U Penn after the death of our sister. Ryder left and travelled to places I don't even know, I tried looking for him but he couldn't be found."

"Was it hard?" she said with worry.

The black haired man sighed, "It was and one day he just came back. Ryder wasn't the same after his little trip. He didn't want to go to college and he really fell into his mixes. I think it's because our sister really loved helping him make mixes when she was in the hospital."

"There is one obvious difference between you're brother and yourself...he doesn't open up like you do."

"I wasn't as close to our sister like he was."

"Why do you never say her name?"

"I never spent time with her because I was too busy with my own selfish goals."

"I'm sure that's not the case."

"I went to college at a young age and when I was at the top of my career, I became a total idiot. My sister was sick for a while and during her last days I didn't even visit my sister once."

"Why do you never say her name?"

"I don't have the right to. She wrote to me every single day."

"Archer no one blames you."

"Ryder did, for a really long time and he's forgiven me but I haven't forgiven myself."

"Isn't it hard to hate yourself so much?"

"No it's too easy."

"I'm sure you did one thing for her that makes up for it all."

He ate listlessly, "Her name was Adeline but I called her Addie."

"Did you love her?" she asked.

Archie smiled sadly, "How could I not? It was really hard to dislike her because it was just too easy to fall for her."

"Why don't you tell me about her." she put her hand on his.

He looked at her intensely, "I haven't really talked about her since she died."

"Do it now, stop holding everything in." Aubrey pleaded.

Archer took her hand and kissed it, "I would like that."

They spent the rest of the night talking about every aspect of their lives and told each other things they had never told anyone before. The whole time Aubrey knew that they were helping each other in a way no one else could. It wasn't like a crush with Ryder...she knew that she was falling so recklessly and quickly but she didn't stop herself. Because for once she didn't feel like the girl who had to control every aspect of her and everyone else's life. Archer let her in and didn't force anything out of her. She could completely let go and knew that he would catch her if she fell.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Archer looked at his reflection in the mirror with no emotion. He was handsome sure but he looked less weighed down. The constant tiredness about him was gone and replaced by a happy glow. He had just been outside one day after some performance when he saw a girl crying. For some reason he would never understand, he comforted her. When he left he somehow knew that they would meet again and he had been right for once.

They had done nothing but talked the night before and it was still the best date he ever had. Just making her smile made him feel like he was in heaven and the way she blushed made her look like the most adorable girl in the world. Archibald Grey was no romantic but being around Aubrey made him sweeter than usual. To most he was the cutthroat investment banker who made too much money. To Aubrey he was a sweet guy.

After waking up next to her peaceful form, he took a shower in an attempt to clean himself up. He realized that he had nothing to wear but his old clothes so he decided to walk out in only a towel around his waist to ask if she had spare clothes. Archer smiled when he saw the sight of Aubrey trying to flip a pancake. She wore a sea foam green off the shoulder sweater and tight jeans. He couldn't help but think she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Archer slowly moved behind her and put his hand over hers and slowly flipped the pancake. Because he was so close to her the sound of her heartbeat was loud and clear. She slowly turned and blushed at his half naked form.

"Do you have any extra clothes for me?" he breathed.

They were too close, "I think Chloe might have a guys t-shirt somewhere."

"Thanks." he muttered as he put his hands on her slim waist.

She whispered, "No problem."

He kissed her so quickly that she had little time to react but did. Aubrey put her hands in his wet hair and brought him closer to her. All the attraction they had held back the night before was poured into the feverish kiss. Archer pulled back when he ran out of breath but continued to look at her intense blue eyes.

Aubrey moved her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he moved to her room. Archer threw her on the bed and quickly moved towards her. He looked at her as if asking if she wanted to continue and when she gave a nod he slowly pulled off her sweater. After he finished, Archie looked down at her as if she were the most beautiful girl in the world. She had a black silk bra on which he guessed was from Victoria Secret's and he somehow knew that she could be one of the models for the company.

He gave her a kiss along her body for each adjective, "You're smart, beautiful, sexy, compassionate, motivational, and perfect."

She somehow managed to flip him and he looked up at her as she straddled him. Aubrey ran her hands along his muscled chest and leaned down to kiss everywhere her hands went. Her curly blonde hair tickled his chest but he was too focused on her beautiful form on top of him. A loud groan escaped his mouth when she grinded into him. He was still only wearing a towel so it felt a little too sensitive.

"Please don't torture me." he muttered.

She bit his ear, "What's the fun in that?"

Archer took charge again and flipped her so she was on the bottom again. He pulled off her jeans to reveal sexy black underwear that matched her bra. The urge to rip both pieces of lingerie off was overwhelming but he ignored the feeling to kiss her again.

Right before he moved to unclasp his bra the sound of the door opening interrupted them. When he turned the amused faces of his brother and girlfriend greeted them. The older man quickly jumped and looked at them with shock.

Ryder snickered, "We'll just let you have a couple more minutes."

"GET OUT!" Aubrey yelled and threw a pillow at him.

"Here's some clothes." Ryder threw a bag of clothes on the floor.

Chloe laughed as the couple left, "Use protection!"

Archer and Aubrey stared at each other and burst out laughing. It was pretty funny considering everything. He stood and looked through the bag of clothes his brother had gotten him. Ugh he brought him jeans...JEANS for god sakes. Archie rolled his eyes at Bree's laughter and put on a pair of boxers underneath his towel and threw on the jeans. After he pulled on a grey v-neck and dark blue cardigan. In the time he changed Aubrey had put on a blouse the same color as his cardigan and grey pants.

He smiled at her, "How should we handle this?"

"Like we might be a couple." the blonde said with a shy smile.

He looked up at her from his spot on the bed, "I think I'd like that."

"How are we going to make this work? You have a life in New York." she said with worry.

Archer looked at her with adoration, "I don't have to be there all the time and maybe you could be my new life."

"We're gonna make this work no matter what, huh?" she said with amusement.

He pulled her close to him, "For as long as you'll have me."

"Let's go." she commanded with a light kiss.

They walked out to the kitchen and grabbed cups of coffee. Chloe and Ryder looked at them expectantly from the table. The new couple sat across from their friends and gave each other nervous smiles.

"So I see that you're very much acquainted." Ryder attempted to keep a straight face.

He glared, "Shut up."

"You guys are such a cute couple." Chloe cheered.

Aubrey took his hand under the table, "Thanks."

"She even got you to take off your sunglasses." Ryder said with approval.

His girlfriend laughed, "Not without a little bit of arguing."

"Sounds just like my big bro." the younger brother winked.

Archer glared at him, "I still hate you for bringing me jeans."

"It was just my little way of torturing you." Ryder laughed.

Chloe smiled brightly, "We're so sorry for interrupting your...moment?"

"It's fine nothing happened." he attempted.

The brunette laughed, "Sure Archie."

"I hate you." he groaned.

Archer shook his head while his brother continued to tease him. Aubrey and Chloe went over every detail of their nights together and whispered secretly after. His life was at a very different point than it was 24 hours ago. For one thing he was going to spend a lot of time at college.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Chloe couldn't help but be jealous of Aubrey. It was no longer over a boy but it was about what a boy did. Ryder was great but he never opened up to her. Her best friend constantly told her about all the things Archer had revealed to her and what she shared with him. Their relationship rivaled ones like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, cookies and milk, even nutella and her spoon.

Sometimes Ryder just pulled back and put a wall around his thoughts. It was hard because he didn't like to talk about his past. Aubrey had told her all the things she learned from Archer and she couldn't help but feel angry that she didn't hear it straight from the source.

Aubrey didn't have to worry that her boyfriend had no emotions, the couple was so lovey dovey it hurt. Archer somehow imagined some new ingenious act of love every time he saw her best friend. The boy had an imagination.

On top of that, they hadn't gone to the next stage of their relationship. Archer and Aubrey had sprinted to that stage of their relationship. The s...e...fill in the rest. She wasn't shy about her body or doing it with other guys but with Ryder it just seemed hard to grasp. He had been with a million other girls and she knew that she could end up as one of the million. It wasn't like she didn't try and go there but every time she did Ryder just stopped her and ran away. Chloe personally thought she was attractive but by her boyfriend's escapes she had to think differently.

She looked up and smiled at her best friend. They were currently at a cafe right outside campus eating lunch and talking about their boyfriends. Well Aubrey was, she was just listening. But if she had to hear one more time how good Archer is in bed she would die. Literally drop to the floor and die.

"Then after the helicopter ride over the New York skyline he took me to the top of the empire state building." Aubrey squealed.

She tried her best to look happy for her friend, "That's great."

"How are you and Ryder?" the blonde finally asked.

She took a sip of tea, "We're managing."

"The truth?"

"He's pulling away."

"Why don't you talk to him?"

"He's Ryder Mitchell, talking to him about his feelings isn't easy."

"No matter how much Archer says they're not alike, they're brothers. Archie pulls back sometimes too but I just grab him before he does."

"I just feel like he isn't telling me something really important."

Aubrey looked down at her coffee, "He might be."

"Bree, do you know something?" she asked with worry.

Her best friend continued to escape her gaze, "I told you everything I know but I don't think my boyfriend told me everything _he_ knew."

"Can you get it out of him?" the red head asked excitedly.

Aubrey looked confident, "A sexy pair of lingerie and he'll break but..."

"What?"

"Why don't you just ask Ryder himself?"

"I told you, it's not that easy."

Archer smiled as he sat down at the table, "What's not easy?"

"Nothing Archie." Aubrey kissed her boyfriend.

Chloe waited awkwardly as the couple made out, "I'm right here guys."

"Sorry." he winked as Aubrey moved onto his lap.

The waitress walked over to their table and gave Archer a seductive smile, "What can I get for you handsome?"

"I'm fine, thanks." he declined politely.

The girl winked, "Are you sure, we have some pretty good pasta."

"He's fine." Aubrey said with a glare and possessively kissed him.

Chloe whistled when the waitress walked off, "I've literally never seen you so jealous."

"Well my boyfriend is too attractive so I've somewhat gotten used to being jealous all the time." the blonde sighed.

Archer sweetly kissed his girlfriend's cheek, "I apologize."

"Ugh you guys literally make me sick." Chloe blanched.

He chuckled, "What has you so tense?"

"Nothing." she glared.

Her best friend rolled her eyes, "Your brother."

"Little Ryder?" he laughed. "You're one of the first girls he's ever dated."

She paused, "Wait...ONE of the first?"

"I'm sure there's one more." he guiltily looked away.

She slammed her fists on the table, "ARCHER!"

"You're surprisingly loud for someone so tall." the handsome man analyzed.

Aubrey lightly hit him, "Be nice."

"Why don't you just ask him?" he tilted his head.

She looked for an excuse, "Well you guys are going out tonight so it's a bad time."

"We're probably just getting wasted so you should pick him up." he suggested.

Chloe gave him a look, "We may be future in law siblings and my best friend's boyfriend but I will kill you."

"You're 5'4 and I'm 6'2..." he trailed off.

Aubrey sighed, "If you don't stop being mean, you're not getting sex for a week."

"I feel like you need it more than me. Judging from the scratch marks on my back." Archer said in his 'business' voice.

Chloe covered her ears, "I don't want to know this."

"To be fair, my back still hasn't healed."

Aubrey kissed him, "You like it."

"Please rein in the PDA." she groaned.

He wrapped his arms around Bree, "How can I when I have such a beautiful girlfriend? Seriously, she's sexy and smart. When does that ever happen?"

"You're sweet." Aubrey smiled and kissed him.

They started to make out and Chloe left knowing they wouldn't notice her leave. She was going to track down her boyfriend and get answers. Maybe even get the fairy tale her best friend got.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Archer slammed the shot down and acknowledged all the cheers with a wink. Before he could get the first shot down he consecutively did four more which resulted in evener louder cheers.

He stumbled off of the bar stool he sat on, "Hey little bro."

"You're so drunk right now." Ryder snickered.

Archie winked, "Today is my day to get wasted."

"I'm sure having Aubrey as a girlfriend isn't at all the cause." the brunette said sarcastically.

He glared, "Don't be a jerk."

"Okay I'm sorry. How did you get those scratches on your back by the way?" Ryder smirked.

He threw his v-neck off and jumped on top of the bar, "You're jealousy can't touch me."

"As much as I love seeing you dance shirtless on a bar, I'm going to go outside." the younger brother rolled his eyes.

He ignored him, "I love this song."

Archer continued to dance but slipped off when he saw a particular girl walk inside the bar. She was gorgeous, a classic Spanish beauty with silky black hair and alluring brown eyes. It was also worth noting that she was a complete bitch. Literally, the biggest one you'd ever meet.

His drunken mind slowly connected all the dots and his eyes lit up with realization. He had to find Ryder or he'd fall into the bitc...Aria's evil trap. The girl must have taken evil plan lessons from Darth Vader or the devil. Maybe, they took lessons from her once he thought about it.

He ran, still shirtless, outside. Wait...Chloe was going to be here. She was going to see Ryder under the evil influence of Aria, the first girl he ever fell for. She was at first sweet and perfect. As their relationship continued, she continuously cheated on him and treated Ryder like crap. His little brother acted like a servant boy to a girl with the emotional capacity of a potato. The door flew open as he entered the back alley and the sight in front of him stopped him in his tracks.

Ryder was staring at Aria with the same puppy dog eyes he always used with her. Chloe stood next to him and glared angrily at the ex. It was like the perfect picture of awkwardness.

They all turned towards him and the situation became even more awkward. Archer gave a weak smile.

"Nice seeing you." he said uncomfortably.


End file.
